The Good and The Bad
by ExXo AshDust64
Summary: Edd was always a good student, a good friend, and a good person overall. Even with the disrespect from several peers, he kept his head up but kept his mouth shut. What he wouldn't give to dish out what he was given, just once. But he wouldn't... surely those students must be joking when they say they're scared of him. But why can't he remember... what's happening?
1. Chapter 1

**Title: **The Good and The Bad

**Rating**: T (for now but may very likely be M later)

**Pairing: **Normal!Kevin/Rev!Edd/Normal!Edd

**Note: **ok so this is the first time I write any sort of story since jr high and... I don't know... anyway, I've never used this site for publishing stuff obviously and I'm not sure how it all works so I hope I set this up right lol. Please help me out if you see I need it! Also, I don't know if those are the right genres but meh.  
**-~**Oh! and Rev!Edd belongs to Asphyxion

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Chapter One:

Everyone knew the kids of the cul de sac and, more in particular, everyone knew the troublesome Eds. Eddy came up with the scams, Edd made them possible, and Ed helped things fall apart. When things did fall apart, all three boys received their just desserts but Edd usually took the worst of it.

Though he got along well enough with everyone and never caused a problem on his own, Edd was just an easy target for bullies or anyone just having a bad day. At school, his punishments would range anywhere between spit balls in class, to a shove to the shoulder in the hallway, to being dragged somewhere away from faculty eyes for something a little more thorough like a swirly. A couple of hits was the most he would receive when the punishment was not manifesting from one of Eddy's failed schemes. The damage was never more then a couple of bruises and perhaps a few scrapes usually caused from him trying to get away from his assailants. Though he would rather have none of it, there were times he would find himself relieved to only receive a hit rather than have his head shoved in a filthy toilet. After such attacks, it was the only times he entered the locker-rooms to wash his hat and hair out. He'd learned to carry a spare hat with him just in case, but fortunately these types of attacks were not frequent. This was his life, like it or not- and he really didn't.

He remained quiet about it at school since he found telling teachers only proved to make the bullies go after him more after a mere "stern talking to and call to their parents" from the principal. His friends from the cul de sac did what they could to make others back down when they were around but unfortunately they could only be with him for short periods of time between classes. Even Kevin, his bully for as long as he could remember, started taking it easier on him at school when he saw that he was getting enough without him adding to it. Still, occasionally Kevin still gave him a hard time, though it was mostly verbal.

However, when he got home, Eddward would do one or all of a few things depending on how much he had had to put up with that particular day or week. He would cry, scream into a pillow, or do a one-man role play against the wall, shouting all the things he wished he had the nerve to really say. Then he would imagine what it might be like to actually stand up for himself and dish out some of what he had been made to take. Finally, he would jot down the events of the day and how he felt in a journal he kept by his bed. True, none of this actually made the situation better but it certainly helped him alleviate some stress.

Edd did not know when this would all cease, but he did his best to remain optimistic and believe that this type of life, one with at least one sore spot or bruise constantly on his body somewhere, would not be forever. He really was tired of it. He was finding that he was even having dreams in which he actually stood up to his tormentors. And then there were those couple of times recently in which he found words of retaliation on the tip of his tongue as hands grabbed and shoved him. He was so close to saying something but the fear of getting a beating stopped him.

He sighed now as he lay in his bed ready for sleep, looking up blankly at the ceiling. What made people so angry that they would actually lay hands on another person without a thought? Someone who did not even have anything to do with said anger issues? "Well," he thought, "I suppose I may consider lashing at my attackers, if I had the strength and backbone, for all they put me through." He sighed and with that final thought, he closed his eyes and fell asleep.

{~}

"Hey Double D!" Nazz greeted Edd with a bright smile and a wave. She was walking down the hallway towards him and Edd had to admit, she looked beautiful in the morning light streaming in through the windows of the building. It gave her a kind of angelic glow that just fit her so perfectly. Edd had gotten over his childhood crush on the popular blonde years ago but he still felt a familiar flutter because of her on occasion. She was simply a radiant person and he could not help it.

"Good morning Nazz! Bright and early for the meeting regarding the class trip, I presume?" He said, shutting the door of his locker.

"You betcha," she giggled. "I'm so stoked. No doubt, this trip is gonna be awesome."

"Yes, I do hope to have a pleasant experience. The preparations are coming together nicely, so things should go without a hitch." They walked together to the classroom in which the meeting was to be held.

The class trip was one for biology students. They would be going to a camp near a river where they would be studying and observing the plant and wildlife. The trip would last the entire three day weekend so, as there was only a couple of days left, there was one more official meeting before school today to make sure everything would be in order.

Eddward was not actually a student in the class, he had already completed his science/biology requirements, but he was a floating TA and had volunteered to assist on the trip. Even _he_ could barely hold his excitement for the weekend.  
Others who would be joining the trip were Eddy, Ed, Kevin, and Rolf but none of them were on the organizational team. Nazz was not part of the team either but she liked to sit in on the meetings to stay in the loop and give her opinion on the schedules and arrangements without actually holding any responsibilities for any of it.

"I heard there was a waterfall near the camp area. Will we get to go there?" Nazz asked almost as soon as the meeting started. She asked only out of curiosity because she had her mind made up that she would get to that waterfall with or without the teacher's approval. She had heard that there may be issues about visiting the waterfall this year because of something that had happened on last year's trip. The thing was, the waterfall was one of the main reasons all the students would get so excited to go. Aside from being a beautiful scene, they had been told by former biology students that there was a rope swing hanging from a branch on one of the lower ledges of the waterfall's cliff side that they would use to swing and jump from into the water below. Nazz could hardly wait to try it out.

"We realize that in the past, students have had a wonderful time during this trip and always looked forward to visiting the waterfall. Unfortunately, due to some risky horseplay last year which came very close to a serious injury, the option of returning to that spot is still under heavy discussion." One of the staff replied.

Edd knew that his friends all really wanted to get a chance to go to the waterfall and would find a way to do so even without the supervision of the adults. He would much rather they all went together with staff there to make sure nothing would go awry. He dreaded the idea of being dragged along with them only to very likely get caught and risk marring his flawless school record. He raised his hand and got the room's attention.

"If I may, I believe the location of and around the waterfall would make a wonderful area to find some rather interesting fungi and other flora," he said matter-of-fact. "To deny eager learning students from such an experience would be a travesty for the trip as a whole. Surely we could speak to the students and lay some ground rules regarding behavior and responsibilities while visiting the location. I say, we can even give fair warning that if their behavior does not stand to par, they risk the chance of being left behind or made to return to the campsite while the rest of their peers enjoy themselves with a memorable learning experience."

"Yeah! Right on dude!" Nazz blurted out as the staff murmured for a moment among themselves. After a minute, one faculty member Edd knew from the front office stood up.

"We will continue to give it a little more thought, but it does seem probable to have a visit to the waterfall. Though, that is in no way a promise," the older male gave Nazz a firm look and she pulled in her lips and covered her mouth with one hand and then smiled. She was pretty sure it was a done deal, Edd had a way of making the faculty feel confident in depending on him and his ideas.

The rest of the meeting went by smoothly and everyone had their duties set for the trip. With only a few several minutes before the first bell would ring, the group within the class could hear the students filling the hallways. Everyone was dismissed and Nazz and Edd walked out together, talking about what they hoped to get out of the trip. Nazz just wanted to have fun and go swimming while Double D just wanted to make sure to help provide a good educational experience for at least one student.

The day was going well for Edd, no disturbances yet and there was only one period left. He stopped at his locker to get a book for his final class.

"Hey Double Dweeb," Edd heard someone say from the other side of his locker door. He felt his muscles tense for half a second and his heart skipped a beat. Peering around the locker door, he saw Kevin standing there, a faint smile on his lips that any other person probably would not even notice. He did not think Kevin himself noticed he was smiling. But Edd noticed; he took note of the smallest details when it came to the redhead. He was unsure of when the habit started but it was not until recently that he realized he did it at all.

Eddward was still coming to terms with the fact that he may be developing some sort of feelings for his childhood friend/bully. Their friendship was never a normal one and if he had feelings for him, he just could not even fathom how things would work. Not to say that he even held the slightest bit of hope that his potential feelings would be reciprocated.

Swallowing hard, he said, "Well, hello there Kevin. Lovely day isn't it?"

"Heh yeah I guess. Listen, I was just wondering if you could help me out with some assignments. I don't think I'll get much done this weekend you know? With the whole trip and everything."

"Certainly Kevin. It would be my pleasure." Edd smiled his friendly gap-toothed smile and closed his locker. "Shall we meet later today? The library perhaps?"

"Could we maybe go to your house or something? I like listening to music when I work on school stuff. Helps my mind flow. Can't really do that in the library," Kevin shrugged.

Edd thought about it and decided the previous day's cleaning was sufficient to have guests over. "That sounds fine. I'll meet you after school."  
"Uh, well I've got baseball practice after school. Would it be too late to come over afterward?"

The bell rang, signifying students should be in their classrooms or well on their way to them. "That'll be fine. I'll see you then," Edd was already turning to head over to his next class but felt a light punch to his shoulder before he could take his first step. He turned his head back to face Kevin.

"Thanks Dork. Catch you later," Kevin smirked and jogged off in the other direction.

Edd felt a small twinge pull at the edge of his lips as he turned back once more and rushed off to his own class. Since when did being called "dork" feel like something endearing? He brushed the thought away and entered his classroom, not noticing his cheeks were the slightest shade of pink. He sat down and took out his notebook, textbook, and pencil, ready to start his lesson.

Today really was turning out to be a good day.

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**so like I said before, this is my first attempt at writing a story and putting it out there for others to read. Super nervous and not sure it will even get a read BUT trying to be optimistic and I'm asking for reviews and constructive criticism please! **


	2. Chapter 2

**Title: **The Good and The Bad

**Rating**: T (for now but may very likely be M later)

**Pairing: **Normal!Kevin/Rev!Edd/Normal!Edd

**Note: **Unfortunately I have been very busy with school lately and really did not have time for this chapter so... if it seems a little half-assed and/or rushed, that's why and i really apologize for that. I hope it's good enough tho. it's not too long but long enough i think...? haha please read & review. constructive criticism is appreciated!

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After the last bell had rung, Edd found that he was one of the first students out the door of the classroom. This was unusual, as he usually took his time in making sure his things were in order and more often than not, reiterated the assignments with the teacher to make sure he had correctly listed them.

This time around however, he could hardly keep his leg from twitching and his fingers itched to pack his pre-organized books away as he double checked his "to do" list while the professor went over a final reminder of the homework to be done.

With a quick stop at his locker to get the materials he would need for the evening, he slung his bag over his shoulder and was out the school's double doors. He knew Kevin would not be arriving immediately but this gave him the opportunity to make a final sweep of the house and prepare something for dinner. He had to make sure he was not just a good host, but an outstanding one.

"Hey Double D," Eddy said lazily. He and Ed were already outside waiting for their friend. "Jeez, that's gotta be record time. I swear, usually everybody's already home napping before you set foot off campus." He yawned and stretched and Edd wondered if he had just woken up from his own nap.

"Yes, well I have a few things to take care of at home; best not to waste time," he replied. Eddy shrugged a "whatever" and they began walking to his car. Eddy was the only one of them to have a car, though Edd did have his driver's license since Eddy at times insisted on having him drive him around when he was feeling particularly lazy and wanted to call Edd "Jeeves".

They drove towards home, Eddy driving today, Ed in the passenger seat and Edd in the backseat. "Double D is busy tonight?" Ed turned his head to face Edd and asked as though he had just come to realize this.

"Yes Ed. Did you require my assistance?" It was not rare for Ed to ask Edd for help with his homework on any subject and Edd never minded tutoring him. This time however, Edd crossed his fingers when he asked if his friend needed help, hoping that it was nothing or that all he wanted was to watch a movie or play video games. Edd could much more easily turn down an invitation like that with the excuse for chores needing to be completed at home.

"It can wait," Ed said after a moment of thought, looking out the windshield again. Though Edd did not like the sound of that, he did his best to take Ed's word for it and let the matter go. "Is Double D busy tomorrow? I'm gonna need help packing a survival kit."

"Ed, you won't need a survival kit but I will be free tomorrow and I can certainly help you pack for the weekend. Do you have the checklist of essentials that was handed out in class?"

"Uhh..." Ed had his finger to his chin and had his eyes skyward as though trying to remember.

"No matter, I have an extra." Edd had made the list himself and made sure there had been a few extra copies made for students such as Ed who had a knack of misplacing things.

They pulled into Eddy's driveway at that moment. "Hey Sockhead, I might need an another one too. I think I used mine for spitballs the other day," Eddy said, turning the engine off and getting out.

Edd sighed, "Very well Eddy. I'll make sure to grab another for you but please, try to be more careful? Both of you?"

Eddy chuckled a bit and was already going through the gate that led to his backyard. "Yeah sure. See ya tomorrow Sockhead."

Edd waved a goodbye to his friends and made his way to his own house. Normally he would have this awful emptiness well up inside him as he would make his way into his looming desolate house, but not today. He unlocked his front door and entered with a smile tugging at his lips.

In reality there was not much left to clean or organize but Edd made sure to double check everything and straighten even the smallest of misaligned items. Once that was done he made his way upstairs and took a quick shower. Finally, he began with dinner preparations.

After all was completed, he sat down for a moment and then proceeded to take out his books. He would start on his own work while he waited for Kevin. First up: English.

Edd went through his subjects in a focused trance until his stomach suddenly growled at him. He looked up at the clock on the wall and saw that it was already 8.

"Oh, well perhaps he's just running a bit late. I suppose I could begin without him. Surely he'll be here any minute," he said aloud in an attempt to assure himself but he could not help his spirits dampening and his shoulders drooping a bit as they did so.

He served himself a plate of the aromatic Thai dish he had prepared and set it down at the table. He took his seat and looked around the table at the empty seats before him and emitted heavy sigh.

He stared down at his plate, appetite slowly decreasing. "One mustn't be wasteful," he said aloud to himself. He began to eat but the food he knew must be filled with flavor tasted bland on his tongue. With his last forkful in hand, he held it in front of his face, a noodle hanging down limply, looking as pathetic as he felt. He suddenly did not even have the energy to bring it to his mouth. He let the fork drop to the plate with a clatter, feeling a lump in his throat. His sadness quickly became anger though as he thought about the fact that the jock was probably at home right across the street. "Well, why don't we just go see then," he made up his mind, pushing away from the table and going straight for the door.

He grasped the cold handle in his hand and hesitated for a moment. What would he say or do if he knocked on Kevin's door and he answered? He shook his head, he would figure it out when he got there. He flung the door open, already stepping forward, and immediately ran straight into the person he was on his way to go see.

"Oh, whoa, hey man." Kevin said, stepping back.

"Kevin! I thought you had decided to abandon our study session. Do you realize what time it is?"

"Chill Double Dweeb. Coach had us do an extra long practice since we won't be there for the weekend. I told you I was gonna be late."

Edd looked over Kevin and saw that he really must have just come straight from practice. His uniform soiled and dirt still smeared on his hands and face. "Goodness Kevin, do you not shower or at the very least wash up after practice?"

"Do you ever stop nagging? Listen, I could have taken the time to shower and get all pretty for you but I knew it was getting late and I didn't want you to think I was bailing..." Kevin stood staring at Edd for a few seconds while Edd just looked back at him unsure of what to say in response. He let out a frustrated sigh, "You gonna let me in, or should I just go home?" Irritation was beginning to show in his expression now and Edd stepped aside to allow him to pass.

As Edd shut the door and put the lock on, Kevin made his way to the plush cream-colored couch in the living room, dropping his backpack next to it and himself onto it with a deep sigh. "I've made dinner if you're hungry. Though it may need to be reheated n-No!" Edd had turned to the living room with dismay, "Kevin, please! Your shoes!"

Kevin looked down at the floor to see the dusty shoe prints and dirt clumps he had left behind. "Whoops. Got a vacuum?" He said with a smart-alecky grin.

"Well, yes of course, but that is beside the point. Have you no manners? Guests are to remove their shoes at the door," he said, one hand on his hip and the other pointing at the small shoe rack.

"Man, you're such a nag." He stood up again to make his way back towards the door but stopped at a sudden gasp from Edd.

"Mother's couch!"

Kevin looked back to where he had been seated and saw the smears of dirt left from his hands and uniform. "Aw crap. Sorry Dork, I-"

"Enough. To the bathroom with you, mister! You will wash up immediately!" If there was one thing Edd could not take, it was having his own home being made a mess of. Sure, he had had to deal with it numerous times because of his two rambunctious best friends, but it was only for them that he made exceptions and dealt with the repercussions of their many troublesome endeavors.

"Listen Dweeb, I'm not gonna take you barkin orders at me," Kevin rounded on Edd, looking straight into his eyes.

"You are trailing filth all over the house! I know not of your living arrangements but I for one cannot have my living quarters looking as though they were made to be for that of an animal!" Edd was losing it. He was unsure of what was prompting him to become so upset, but whatever it was was breaking through his vault of frustrations. It was as though some force was driving out his pent up negative emotions. Somewhere in the back of his mind was a small voice telling him he should stop but...

A scowl appeared on Kevin's face and he was surprised that rather than take a step or several back, the dork actually took a couple of steps towards him, narrowing the space between them. Well, it seemed the dork found some confidence within his own domain. Kevin took a few steps forward and closed the space between them only to place fingertips to Edd's chest and shove him back slightly. "I really don't need this right now. It's not like I came here with some diabolical plan to destroy the image of your perfect house and I'm not gonna just stand here and listen to you insult me. Stop acting like the world is ending! It's fucking dirt. It can be cleaned."

At this distance Edd could see the weariness in Kevin's eyes. The slight pang of guilt he felt was washed away though as something within him just prodded him to go on. He needed to push, to vent. "Watch your language, Kevin. I am not obligated to assist you at all, so if you wish for me to aid you in your studies, I suggest you stop complaining and do as I've requested."

"What is your fucking problem? You know what," he stepped back again and Edd watched him grab his bag and sling it back over his shoulder before turning and walking back to him, "I would've helped you clean this shit up but you like fucking cleaning so much, you can do it yourself," Kevin leaned towards Edd, their faces just inches apart and this time Edd felt a panic hit him and stepped back. "I don't need to hear anymore bitching." Kevin took another step forward and Edd instinctively put his arms up to shield himself but Kevin only walked by him, shoving him hard with his shoulder. Edd's lack of muscle and balance had him stumbling back and tripping over his own feet, barely catching himself before falling.

Kevin was at the door now. Pulling it open, he looked back one more time at the mess he'd made and then at Edd who now seemed lost for words. There was a similar feeling of hesitance in both of them but neither said anything. The door shut and Kevin was gone, leaving Edd to stand alone in his house once more.

Edd's gaze fell to the dirt stains on the floor by his feet, followed them to the couch where the stains became somewhat of an abstract human figure, and then moved over into the dining room with his solitary plate of food, cold and staling, on a table surrounded by empty chairs. His face contorted as he struggled to keep his emotions in check, his hand in a fist at his chest, fabric of his shirt trapped in his contracted fingers. He let his head drop and his eyes fixed on his shirt as he made out the marks left behind by Kevin's fingers on either side of his chest just below his collar bones. 'Just how many layers of dirt was he carrying?' Edd could not help but wonder.

He moved to clean up what he had left out in the kitchen and dining room first and then moved back into the living, vacuum dragging from one hand and a small bucket with cleaning solution and cloths in the other. He worked his way from the floor to the couch and as he cleaned he thought about Kevin's apt to leave a lasting impression and chided himself for choosing tonight to lose patience. Edd looked at the smear left by a strong hand on the couch and sighed as he placed a cloth to it, erasing the last trace of evidence that Kevin had ever been there at all.

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-**Xo**


End file.
